* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Tsunemitsu
恒光
Description
Lineage
Tsunemitsu was a Bizen swordsmith said to be the grandson of Masatsune, known as "Ōshū Tarō," who was active in the late Heian period. He belonged to the Ko-Bizen school, which preceded the later Fukuoka Ichimonji school.
Style
His steel shows small itame grain mixed with mokume and ji-nie typical of the Ko-Bizen school. His hamon is generally suguha-based with small irregular waves, and blades are noted for a distinctive chōji-utsuri (reflection pattern).
Notable Work
A tachi signed "Shōan 3, 4th month, Tsunemitsu" (dated 1301) survives and is designated an Important Cultural Property. Because it bears a date, it serves as key evidence for placing his activity in the late Kamakura period.
Assessment
The name Tsunemitsu is thought to have been used by more than one smith, with the leading theory holding that multiple craftsmen worked under this name from the early to the late Kamakura period. He is valued as one of the smiths who carried Ko-Bizen craftsmanship into the late Kamakura era.
Famous Works
- 太刀 銘「正安三年四月日恒光」（重要文化財）